Lawrence "The Dreamer" Chen's Blog

Last night I experienced another Kansas Weather Event. Starting to wonder if I had known about these things, would I have called Manhattan, Kansas home?

Last night it was rain, and lots of it. I may as well have been a solid water coming down everywhere....almost the instant it started....I could hear water pouring into my living room. I had towel handy, and the put empty trash containers along the patio door and that kept most of the water at bay.

Carpet was dry by morning.

But, then the inevitable next happened. The power flickered and then went away. I was watching TV at the time (L&O: Criminal Intent). Guess I'll have to pick up the ending later. Things were humming on the UPS. Though somethings bounced...I turned off the TV and the V880N. Seems my HDVI5 switcher isn't on a UPS. So, there was no using things while the UPSs beeped. I thought I had disabled the beeper in the UPS, but maybe it only disables if it knows there's a computer attached....there isn't so...hmmm.

The UPS handling 'lhaven' died immediately. So, no IRC. So, even though the cable modem was still working and lasted more than half an hour. And, the DSL modem never went down. I was quickly without Internet, as computers ran down. And, my wireless access points are connected to desktop UPSs. I think I should move the access point to the PowerSource 400 that was backing up my phone/VoIP/router/dsl.

I went around shutting down some other computers to help stretch the UPSs....

Seems the Lasko floor fan and the Kenmore Envirosense air purifier didn't like being on the UPS...probably the TRIAC to make low speed fan and the simulated sine wave of the UPS output not getting along. I turned these things off. And, then after pacing around for a while, and checking various light sources. And, finding it getting warm and stuffy indoors. I went out and listened on my HT to the weather spotters, and checked out the area.

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Link: http://www.nohasslegroceries.com

Well, this weekend was the big Zimbra migration for K-State. And, figuring that I would be home nursing it along all weekend, I shot for this weekend as the next time I would give No Hassle Groceries a shot.

Even though I had time to go play radio guy for the Cycle CASA 2009 event. The Zimbra migration went quickly and was all done much sooner than planned.

I found that I had more time today than I had intended. Though it was kind of warm out, I decided to go do groceries at Dillons ... more or less as normal. But, when I got home, I decided that I was till going to give No Hassle Groceries a shot.

I had started a shopping cart, which I found the site still remembered. I refined it....removing stuff that I could get by with and focusing on ordering more of the things that I don't get because...they are a hassle, or impractical given my constraints.

And, then I fired the order off. There was no confirmation....and it said delivery time was 40 to 60 minutes...after 40 minutes nothing, after 60 minutes nothing. It was kind of annoying in that I was now putting other stuff off waiting for the delivery. But, it did eventually show up.

Now there were quite a few things that weren't available. Some got substitutions, and they were good. Others just weren't there (even though there was indication that there were alternatives available, just that different flavor wasn't an automatic substitution).

Which was kind of disappointing, because one of the main items that were out...was a couple tubs of ice cream. Something that is a hassle to buy, especially as it gets warmer and warmer...and not just because of space or weight.

I wondered how the items that weren't available would be adjusted on my payment. I paid with PayPal (the only option) and eventually a refund for the missing items was sent back to PayPal.

It is better than NetGrocer for getting the things that are a hassle to buy, in that it offers fresh, refrigerated and frozen items that I can't get this way. It has been a long time since I don't a stock up order from NetGrocer, and it will probably be an even longer time as hopefully this service grows.

It however isn't quite to the level that would replace doing regular groceries, and of course....I haven't done NetGrocer in a long time since I now have access to a grocery store. Though I still supplement some of the food purchases through other online channels. And, this one may be one of my new regular options.

Now to work up another shopping cart and see about trying again to get ice cream for home....

So this was the grant date of my original Amateur Radio License.

Hadn't realized that I had been a Ham this long. Things sure have changed since I first got my ticket. But, so have I

On cpaptalk.com, it was mentioned using an ultrasonic cleaner to clean masks. So, that got me looking around for an ultrasonic cleaner.

Since the OP got his off of Australian eBay, I decided to get one from a US eBay seller.

It arrived today. I got a bigger unit than the OP, but it isn't too big. In fact when I picked up the package from the UPS store, it was smaller than I expected.

Though for the mask I have now, it'll probably be way too big. Though I have other masks around, and they might need the extra room.

I did a quick test of the machine and then put my glasses in for a short cycle. It sure was interesting watching what seemed like smoke streaming from the rims, hinge and nose pieces. I probably needed to have it in there longer to really get all the gunk out. But, I think my glasses are the cleanest they've ever been....

It'll be Sunday before I get around to run mask parts through it. Want to allow sufficient time for the parts to air dry afterwards....and Saturday I'm helping with communications for the Cabin Fever bike run. Plus I need to brew up some more distilled water....

I now have a VX-7RB and an MH-73A4B on order. This morning I decided to pull the trigger on getting that new handheld that I had been thinking of getting ever since I passed my Technician Exam and became licensed to operate in the US.

Except that I was being distracted by the VX-8R. And, even though it is now finally out and everything. I decided the main difference that it offers is APRS, and that I didn't really need it. Especially since there's a lot of extras that would need to go on top of it and it kind of takes away from why I wanted a new HT.

I had contemplating scaling back even further on models....debating whether I really needed all the bells and whistles of the VX-7R. But, eventually I settled that this was still the HT I wanted.

And, then when I found out what my state tax refund would be and then finally getting it (which turned out to be sooner than getting my federal). I knew that I was going to do it.

This morning was that time.

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This was the first test session since I got my General. I'd had the study book for Extra since I got General, but only managed to skim about half the book...in 8 months. I figured I'd have time to dedicate to reading it before an actual test session. But, it has been a while since there was one.

But, things have been busy, so I haven't been able to sit down and just go through it all.

I took some practice exams from eham.net yesterday and today....but, kept missing by one or two questions. Only once did I pass, it was a just pass.

I even failed the practice exam moments before I left to go take the real exam. I was thinking that I wasn't going to even show up, so even though I failed that practice exam....I decided that I would go waste $15 and try anyways. Figured it would haunt me wondering if I wouldn't have passed it or not.

Plus when I was doing the practice exams I was going through it rather quickly, and figured if I take it slow and careful on the real exam...that I would maybe do better.

As it turned out....I did. I only got 6 questions wrong.

Now to go for the next test.....

I was all in a rush last week to upgrade the other drive in my primary desktop. Partly because the plan was to use the old drive as the backup drive of my other computer. Guess, I'll just have to go without backups for a while longer.

I had resorted to ordering the drive from Amazon.com instead of my usual source TigerDirect.com, because I wanted to know that it was going to show up for certain on a certain day before the weekend.

And, it appeared as desired on Friday. But, first Saturday I was volunteering my Amateur Radio skills to do communications at a SAG for the Yellow Brick Road Race. And, I was way too tired to take on a project like this when I got home. Being up early and being kept up by a yapping dog downstairs was part of the reason. Also being nice than expected and standing in the sun near the end probably didn't help either. But, it was cool. Though it has me thinking that maybe I'll continue to hold out for the Yaesu VX-8R, instead of wimping out and getting the VX-7R. Probably do so by deferring the upgrade of my mobile phone until next year. (likely to be a decision between Google Android or a Blackberry...choice of carrier might be as solidly decided as well either.)

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Once again, after some thought yesterday, I decided that I'm going to pass on getting a new Windows XP computer. Even though I was eyeballing something based around a Phenom X4 based system. And, my old XP machine is almost 5 years old....and new systems are getting scarce.

What I'm now thinking about is getting both a Mac Mini (for my Home Theater, though this may change or get dropped...depending on my mood, etc.) and an iMac (for the bedroom). What I'll then do is get VMWare Fusion for the iMac, should the need for a newer Windows environment arise. The only question is the timing of the iMac, and the thought of getting an iPod touch. (which cuts into my plan to get a VX8R?)

Anyways...I decided that if I'm going to keep the old XP machine, I should stop procrastinating on upgrading the drives in it. I had seen warnings that the primary drive was going to fail, and had purchased Acronis Easy Migrate a while back with the plan of upgrading this drive. It is only a 120GB drive. I could of gotten larger, but I didn't think I would need all that space at the time. Though I had since added a secondary drive of 250GB, and even that one is getting kind of full.

So, I was about to make a note to myself to buy a 500GB drive, when it occured to me that I had pulled a 400GB drive from the post-icepocalypse Gateway (Core 2 Quad) machine I had gotten. It came with Vista, but I had no interest in running Vista. It was purchased to replace my Linux server, though I resurrected that server....so its just an Ubuntu play box. Though I was hoping for PM support to do raid on it. But, I haven't taken the plunge to see if it'll work for that....so its just a fast BOINC engine at the moment....and some file storage.

Anyways, I decided to upgrade the primary drive in TARDIS using the 400GB drive. I went and got the USB/Firewire/eSATA to SATA/IDE enclosure that I had purchased and set aside for this purpose and set out to try running Acronis Migrate Easy.

Hooked it up using Firewire first....strange, my computer seems to have gotten too quiet. Seems the firewire interface is disabling my sound. But, when I went to 'migrate'...it wouldn't. It failed quickly on the reboot, and various other forms of failure. I figured maybe there was a problem with it being on Firewire. So, I switched to USB.

That didn't help. It was reboot and then fail, and then reboot back to before. I slipped other activities in during the process, and eventually it was late...so I called it a night.

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I went with an ASUS Eee PC 901 20G, in Pearl White. I ordered from buy.com, which was advertising an after-rebate ($50) price of $526.99. I also had received last week an 8% off coupon, because it had been a long time since I had ordered from buy.com. Evidently, 03/22/2006 was the date of my last order....which was for a 512MB memory upgrade for my former notebook computer.

Turns out the 8% off coupon has a maximum discount value of $20 off. So, that brought the pre-rebate price of the Eee PC 901 to $556.99. I opted for free shipping....so it might be a while before it arrives.

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Turns out the design of the Denpa MZ-22 is just as bad, or rather it is even worse.

The head was hard to get to...while less prying, there were more screws. Also the cable web inside the head prevents access to the solder points for the battery.

Worse the battery is upside down, so I won't know what kind of battery until I remove it.

It crossed my mind that perhaps I'd find out how much it would cost to send off two radios to get batteries replaced, etc. But, as I was putting it back together, I wondered about the funny scorch marks on the underside of the lid.

Apparently I burned out some transistors on the board years ago when it was my packet radio....not sure if worked the last time I used it...so it might be fried. My fuzzy recollection was that I had some kind of issue with it, which caused me to go back to using my HT for packet. So, that's probably why I was having issues with it.

I wonder if new radios are better or worse with this. I suppose the fact that virtually all mobiles these days have removable/remoteable heads might lead to easier to replace batteries.

Just not sure when I'll get a mobile rig now.